Language and Communication

LANGUAGE

Language

Language is a specific power of human beings common to all. Language is the particular realization that a particular community makes of the universal ability to speak. Speaking is an individual act whereby each person externalizes language.

Descriptive Grammar

It aims to show how the language system works.

Law

Sanctions as good one possible variety of the language.

Morphology

Study of word parts.

Syntax

Discusses how to combine words and the meanings of the combinations they produce.

Pragmatics

Discipline

Read More

20th Century Spanish Literature: Narrative & Theatre

Narrative

Existential Realism (1940s)

This period aimed to convey the feeling of unease and hardship in post-Civil War Spain. Notable works include:

  • The Family of Pascual Duarte by Camilo José Cela
  • Nothing by Carmen Laforet
  • Shadow of the Cypress is Elongated by Miguel Delibes

These works explored the difficult aspects of life, intending to act as a catalyst for change.

Social Realism (1950s)

With an increase in the standard of living and external artistic influences, censorship decreased. This period saw

Read More

18th Century Spanish Literature: Enlightenment and Neoclassicism

The Enlightenment in Spain

During the 18th century, Europe was influenced by the Enlightenment, a movement that championed reason as the primary source of knowledge. However, its acceptance in Spain was slower compared to other countries. A new form of government emerged, known as enlightened despotism, guided by the principle of “Everything for the people, but without the people.” This era saw the establishment of new schools, the promotion of scientific development, a reduction in the nobility’

Read More

Spanish Renaissance Literature: Styles, Authors, and Works

Spanish Renaissance Literature

San Juan de la Cruz

Poetic Work

This includes minor art poems and three major poems: Dark Night of the Soul, Spiritual Song, and Flame of Love Alive. These three are written in older liras.

  • Poems reflect the mystical experience, the union of the soul with God, and symbolic language based on human love.
  • Dark Night and Spiritual Song share the same pattern: the beloved (the soul) goes in search of his beloved (God), and the spiritual marriage takes place.
  • Flame of Love Alive
Read More

Spanish Literature from Romanticism to the Civil War and Beyond

Spanish Literature: A Journey Through Time

Romanticism (First Half of the 19th Century)

Romanticism, a dominant artistic movement across Europe, did not emerge simultaneously in all countries. In Spain, it championed the creative power of the spirit, emphasizing imagination, feeling, and passion.

Key Features of Spanish Romanticism:

  • Rejection of reality and escapism through imagination.
  • Exploration of inner thoughts and emotions.
  • Emphasis on the importance of landscapes and natural settings.
  • Celebration
Read More

15th-Century Spanish Literature: Origins & Evolution

Lyric Poetry

The Jarchas

The jarchas are short songs from the 11th and 12th centuries written in Mozarabic. They represent the earliest form of lyric poetry in Spain.

Galician-Portuguese Lyric

This form of lyric poetry was influenced by learned poetry and courtly love that developed in Provence, France. It flourished in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Castilian Popular Lyric

Evidence suggests that before the 15th century, there was a Castilian lyric tradition connected to Arabo-Andalusian and Galician-Portuguese

Read More